StarFox Fan Fiction ❯ Star Fox Recruits ❯ Intruder alert. ( Chapter 4 )

CHAPTER FOUR

 

Andross' robots detected two small vessels entering the planet's atmosphere, and a larger one in orbit. “Master, the Star-Fox team has entered out home-world.”

 

“Star-Fox…?” Andross asked in near disbelief. “Mmm… this should prove most interesting. Prepare a surprise attack-force at once!” he ordered, “Prepare yourself Fox McCloud. Hmm, mm, mm…”

 

…

 

Fox and Falco flew their Arwings around different sectors of the planet. So far there was nothing unusual. Just miles of pollution and decay, “Negative on this end…” Fox said. “How about you Falco…?”

 

All he could hear was Falco sarcastically snoring over the radio. “Does that answer your question?”

 

Fox sighed as he shook his head, and then radioed the Great Fox, “Peppy, there's nothing down here. Maybe General Pepper was--” he stopped in mid-sentence when he began to pick up signals on his radar-compass.

 

“Fox…? Fox…? What's the matter?” Peppy asked over the radio. “I've got something on my compass, there's a whole mess of them. Falco… do you see them?”

 

“You bet I do…” Falco answered, “Let's get in closer and check it out.”

 

Meanwhile…

 

Onboard the great Fox… Krystal was growing more anxious. “Oh, I can't just sit here like this.” she ground anxiously. “No Krystal! Stay there!” Peppy told her. “You heard what Fox said…”

 

Krystal's fingers drummed nervously on the helm, but she relaxed and remained on standby. Just after that the alarm-system went off.

 

ROB was flailing his arms in panic, “Warning! Warning! My sensors detect an intruder on the command-deck. Repeat: intruder on the command-deck.”

 

Peppy and Slippy turned on the screens and could see a strange creature in the control room. “Who or what is that…?” Slippy wondered.

 

“I don't know…” said Peppy. “Hey… I'll bet he was sent from Venom's surface to infiltrate us.

 

Slippy gasped, “We got to stop him. Quick, ROB, activate the security-codes.”

 

“Affirmative…” ROB responded.

 

…

 

Up on the command-deck I realized that I must've done something trigger an alarm system, and as I rushed for the exit, it was blocked off and sealed with a thick sheet of metal. “Aw, man…!” I cried. “What next…?”

 

I had just had to ask that and I got my answer as all the control panels began to disappear; getting covered up by strange covers, and then stun-lasers began to pop out from the ceiling, floor, and wall. “Uh-oh…!” and I began to roll, jump and dodge the blasts that began to pelt me. “Whoa…! Yikes…! Eek…!”

 

My game skills were really coming in handy, and I began to think that this was merely a trial in the game, but suddenly… one of the leasers barely missed my arm. “Ow…!” I felt the heat of the laser graze my arm and it really did sting slightly. “What? But video games can't hurt you physically…” I said to myself.

 

Then I dodged another laser that pelted me, and the gun it was shot out of was smoking with steam. That's when it all began to fit together, “I don't think is a game!” it was beginning to feel like a nightmare, only… I wasn't asleep… or was I?

 

Regardless, I continued to dodge the blasts…

 

…

 

Much to Peppy and Slippy's amazement… “Wow… look at that guy go!” cried Slippy.

 

Peppy was amazed himself, “Whoever he is… he must have very special training.” He said. “ROB, activate the knock-out gas on the command-deck.”

 

“Affirmative…” ROB responded. This time there was no escape for me. “Hey!” I said feeling weary, “What's going… on…?” and I just collapsed on the floor sleeping like a log.

 

“Well, that takes care of him…” Peppy said, but then suddenly he heard the sound of an Arwing firing its thrusters, and the hatchway opening. “Krystal…! Krystal, come back!” but she was already gone; saw her chance while none of the others were watching.

 

“Never mind that Peppy… we've got an intruder to deal with” said Slippy, and he went off to the command-deck with ROB. “Be careful!” Peppy warned him, “We don't know anything about that guy or what's he's really capable of.”

 

Meanwhile…

 

Fox and Falco had indeed located the source of the signals. It was a swarm of robotic ships of likes which they had never encountered before. They tried to avoid them by flying away, but these robots were programmed for only one purpose… to destroy Fox and Falco, and not to stop until they were done.

 

“Don't these guys ever give up?” Falco sneered.

 

He and Fox saw no choice but to engage in combat, but as they fired their lasers, the robots dodged the beams effortlessly. “Don't tell me… there's also programmed to behave like expert pilots too…?” Fox asked rhetorically.

 

They continuously tried to shoot down the robots, but they were barley able to even get them their sights either as the robots were program that well. It grew even worse when the robots began to fire their own lasers and plasma-balls. Fox and Falco were hit hard.

 

“Whoa…!”

 

“Gah…!”

 

Then suddenly, on their communication screens, someone was contacting them. “Ha, ha, ah, ah, ah…! How goes the weather, Fox McCloud?”

 

Fox and Falco gasped in shock and anger. “ANDROSS…?”

 

“It can't be…” cried Fox, but it was true, he was back, and t became obvious that he was the one who built those machines out there. “Say hello to your father when you see him in the other world, Fox! Ha, ha, ha…” Andross replied before signing off.

 

As soon as he logged off, more robots began to soar into the air, surrounding Fox and Falco's Arwings from many sides. “Nice… a whole party, and I'm guessing we're about to be thrown out the door.” Falco stated.

 

There was far too many ships to attack, Fox and Falco saw it to divert most of their energy to the shields, and try to find a way out, but no matter how hard they tried, the robots seemed to block every single way, and just trying to go straight up proved no good either, as many of the ships outside the formed ring were firing their plasma balls and lasers far too much…

 

With no way out, Fox and Falco were sitting ducks just taking hit after hit of those lethal weapons, and even at maximum power, their shields wouldn't last long. “They begged me to come back, begged me!” Falco growled.

 

Fox couldn't blame him for saying that, even he himself could seem to find a way out. “Unless…” He just had an idea, and flew his ship close to a swarm of the robots, “What are up to Fox?” Falco wondered.

 

“Trust me!” Fox said.

 

He waited for it, and even mocked at the robots, “Here… shoot me, I'm over here.” The Robots fired their weapons, and Fox dodged at the last moment causing the lasers to miss him and shoot down the other robots that were behind him, and as some of the other robots tried to evade, they ended up crashing into each other, making others crash into each other blowing the ring of robots to shreds.

 

Poor Fox and Falco felt like they were spinning in a black-hole as the fires from the explosions combined together rocked their ships about and seriously draining their shields… they barely made it out, but they were still in one piece, but a few swarms of the robots were left, and Fox and Falco only had enough power to make it back to the great Fox. “Let's get out of here!” Fox ordered.

 

“Don't have to tell me twice…” added Falco, and they began to zoom away as fast as they could with the robots on their tail. “They're gaining on us… we gotta' fire…”

 

“No, Falco…” cried Fox, “The power levels are too low. If we shoot now we'll never make it back.”

 

“Yeah, but we won't make it back if those guys get us either!” protested Falco.

 

It was just no use, the Robots were getting closer still… but just then, two nova-bombs fell from the air and blasted at the robots completely distracting them from their flight path. “Fox… Falco! Are you two alright?”

 

“Krystal!” cried Fox. “I've never been happier to see you before.” But suddenly he realized what he just said which made both he and Krystal feel shy. “Hate to break up you two… but can you woo each other when we get back?” Falco asked irritably.

 

Fox and Krystal sighed, but nevertheless, they were successfully able to make it out of the planet and back to the great Fox where they made a perfect get away… or so they thought.

 

For in Andross' secret lair, “Master…!” cried Tobor, “Sensors have indicated that many of our robots have been shot down, and the Star Fox team is escaping.”

 

Andross was indeed infuriated by this, but he was smiling wickedly. He never really intended to destroy Fox right then and there after all. If he had, it would have been okay. “Now with the Arwings out of power and the Great-Fox vulnerable to attack…I believe the time has come to test out one of my more powerful machines.”

 

He sat down on his throne and began to scroll through his computer, “I believe this one shall serve me justice. Begin course change, and charge weapons. Target… the Great Fox. Hmm, mm, mm…!”

 

…

 

Back on the Great-Fox, the pilots were safe, but the Arwings were in need of major overhauls now. Fox even reported to General Pepper about what he and Falco had learned. “So… Andross is back, eh? I should have guessed that right from the start.”

 

Fox and Falco nodded, “If it wasn't for Krystal… those robots would have clobbered us entirely.” Fox said. “I think that was just a warning of what he's got in store for the rest of us”

 

“You may be right, Fox.” Pepper said. “Nevertheless, I want all Star-Fox members to report back to base in the shortest possible time. We must discus on this matter more in person. Pepper out.”

 

“Do you suppose this means that we're going to be on another mission soon?” Krystal asked.

 

“I don't know what to think…” Fox answered, “All I know is… if Andross is back, and he's building these super-robots, who know what could be in store for the Lylat System.”

 

Suddenly, Peppy remembered. “Oh, Fox… I almost forgot about the intruder we captured.”

 

He led everyone to the prison-cells where I was locked in a cell that had an invisible shield instead of bars. “Oh, may goodness!” cried Krystal. “What is it…?”

 

“We don't know…” Slippy said. “Even ROB wasn't able to determine what he is, but we think he could've been sent here by Andross.”

 

Falco thought Slippy's cap was on too tight again. “I'll admit that Andross is pretty crafty, but I doubt even he could build anything like this.”

 

Krystal however was convinced that I wasn't anything to beware of, but she did think I deserved a little medical treatment from my slight injuries, and from the dosage of gas I inhaled.

 

“Let's get him to the sick bay…” she suggested and the others helped her push the hover-bed. They all couldn't wait for me to wake up, and learn more about what mysterious being I was.